JAMES KIRKLAND SIGNS WITH 50 CENT

Sources close to the information have informed us that jr. middleweight contender James Kirkland has signed a 3-year deal with 50 Cent's SMS Promotions. Evidently, Kirkland recently traveled to New York, where he met with 50 Cent to finalize the deal. "Yeah, it's final. 3 years. They said they can put him on HBO soon," one source commented.

Due to managerial and promotional issues that saw him suing virtually everyone previously involved with his team, Kirkland has been inactive for the past 18 months. His last fight was on March 24, 2012, when he was awarded a controversial victory after his opponent, newly-crowned IBF jr. middleweight champion Carlos Molina, was disqualified after his corner entered the ring prematurely following some confusion at the end of the round.

Although no date has been set for Kirkland's return, we're told the "Mandingo Warrior" has no intentions of taking any tune-ups and is eager to jump right back into the mix. In fact, don't be surprised if Kirkland becomes a potential opponent for Miguel Cotto should he get past Delvin Rodriguez in October.